Sick Like Me
by LittleMissGnomey
Summary: "He knew she was dark, he had known since the day she was born." The Ashford's youngest daughter had been sent away to live life as a ward of the Bolton's but perhaps she belonged there all along. Rated M for mature themes such as violence and sexual nature.
1. Prologue

_A/N: Hi lovelies! I know I'm still writing my other GoT fanfic but I've had this in my head for a while. Please leave feedback as I'm not going to carry on if no one's going to read it haha._

The dreaded day had come. They were to give their youngest child to the Bolton's as a way of keeping the peace between their families. Although, what Lord Gregor Ashford failed to mention to the King was how glad he was that they were to be rid of such a horrid child. It may sound harsh that a father would say such things about his daughter but he knew that she was dark, he had known since the day she was born.

No one else seemed to notice; her mother, while fussing over her only daughter, would miss the dead animals scattered around the gardens. On the outside, she looked like the perfect angel but Gregor knew that in there somewhere was a devil waiting to show itself to the world. Maybe she'd fit in well with the Bolton's, they were known for flaying their enemies. Perhaps they could tame the beast inside of the young girl; Gregor liked to think that was possible but he knew that she could never be normal.

Maybe it was raising her in such a place that created the demon inside her. Of course, his sons were raised in the same home but they were far more normal that she ever was. Their home, Ashbury was dreary; it was like all the clouds in the North gathered over the town permanently. It was a much younger town than most of the North and was founded by Gregor's great grandfather, who named it Ashbury after seeing how the ash from surrounding fires seemed to be drawn to the town like a magnet. Of course, now that the trees surrounding the area had been chopped down, there were no more forest fires to bring ash to the townspeople, although the smell remains. Gregor's family thought it would be perfect for the House have a fire as it's sigil.

The House symbol led to them being called traitors during the rebellion, thinking that they had sided with the Targaryen's. Gregor lost his brothers during that rebellion; Gus and Ethon were made examples of by Robert Baratheon. They were locked up while Robert and his men seized King's Landing, then Robert took the throne and had them executed in front of their family.

Gregor remembers it like it was yesterday and his hatred for the Baratheon's grows stronger everyday; Robert needed to go, he was not fit to be King. However, Gregor knew that he was the best option for them, he preferred drunk Kings to crazy ones.


	2. Chapter 1

**Updated**

Lord Gregor watched as his daughter, Rosalie stepped into the carriage. Their courtyard was filled with Bolton banners and he couldn't wait to be rid of them. His brow hung low as he looked over at the brunette; she feigned sadness but he knew better. His wife, Anysa stood to his left with tears threatening to fall from her green eyes. Rosalie was like her mother, looks-wise; they both had long, dark hair and bright green, almost turquoise eyes. Rosalie wasn't like her mother, personality-wise though and it frightened Gregor. He was the only one who could see that their little girl had a dark soul. He suspected that her brothers knew but they overlooked it, whereas he could not. _She is our blood_ , they would say and while this was true, Gregor couldn't help but feel that the girl was far from his.

His two sons, Stefon and Bron stood to his right and just like their mother, they were upset over their little sister's leave. Gregor scoffed at the boys, fools he would call them. They didn't want to believe the truth about Rosalie because to them, she was sweet and innocent. Whenever Gregor looked into his daughter's eyes, he saw the horror that linger within the green orbs. Only the gods knew what she was capable of doing and this way she wasn't around when they found out.

"How can you stay so strong, Gregor?" Anysa asked quietly. Gregor stood tall, his stern face fixated on the carriage.

"You know how, Anysa. Don't play dull."

"Don't. Don't you do this now," she whispered aggressively. Her bottom lip quivered a little before she composed herself. "She is our daughter."

Gregor only grunted as a response. Anysa took in a deep breath, she could feel the anger rise within her. Since Rosalie was a child, Gregor was distant and no matter how many times Anysa told him to bond with his daughter, their relationship was always on the rocks. She was tired of him claiming she was the devil's child, her Rosalie wouldn't do anything bad.

Anysa tried so hard not to fall apart as she watched the carriage leave. It felt like her heart was breaking and she couldn't do a thing to stop it. What made it worse was that she knew that she was not going to get any comfort from her so-called loving husband. Then again, he had never been a caring man; when Anysa was ill, he just sent a maid and when she was in labour, he would just leave the building all together. Gregor refused to look at her before returning to the house, he was only there to seem courteous and polite.

"Come, mother. Let's go back inside," Bron sighed, offering his arm for Anysa to hold. _At least she had her boys_ , she thought. "Rosalie is strong."

"Perhaps, not strong enough," Anysa choked out through sobs. "The Bolton's are cruel, cruel people."

Bron stayed silent, he knew she was right and he hoped that his sister was able to stay strong while at the Dreadfort; even their home sounded horrid. Stefon headed for the stables while Bron led Anysa to her chambers so that she had some privacy. Bron worried for his older brother, he hadn't been sleeping for the past week as he waited for this awful day. He was always protective over Rosalie, Bron too. He was the oldest, he felt that it was his responsibility to keep them safe while their father was unable to.

"Try to calm yourself, mother. Everything will be alright."

Rosalie was able to persuade the Bolton's to let her keep her handmaiden, Iris. She had said that she would go peacefully and willingly with them if they did so. They hadn't time to fuss around with a teenage tantrum so they agreed now there they were, sat in the carriage, waiting to arrive at the Dreadfort. Iris kept stealing glances out of the window and fidgeting with her dress and it was starting to aggravate Rosalie.

"What is the matter, Iris?" Rosalie asked with a slightly annoyed tone. Iris gave Rosalie a worried look before settling down and taking deep breaths.

"I'm scared, milady," she whispered.

Rosalie only frowned at her before shaking her head. "Scared of what, Iris?"

"The Bolton's, milady. They are horrid. Everyone talks about ho-"

"I've heard the stories. I thought they sounded quite fun, actually," Rosalie smirked, seeing Iris' face drain of colour as she spoke. She liked to mess with her, she was easily wound up. "Relax, I was only joking, sort of." She whispered the last part so that only she could hear it. She had heard the stories of the Bolton's, especially the ones about the Bolton's bastard. Her eyes lit up when she thought of meeting him. It would be an entertaining day, indeed.

"You can't show them, milady," Iris whispered, her eyes pleading.

"I still don't see why not. It's not like they're any different," Rosalie sighed.

"Roose Bolton will not like it. He may tell your mother," Iris spoke more urgently, trying to get Rosalie to see how much trouble she could get in for showing her true colours.

"We can't have that now, can we?" Rosalie murmured. As much as it pained her, she knew Iris was right. Rosalie loved her mother, though she never admitted it to herself; she didn't believe she could love anyone. "Don't worry, they'll never find out."


	3. Chapter 2

**Updated**

The gates of the Dreadfort opened, revealing the dark and dingy courtyard. Rosalie's eyes wandered outside of the carriage at the dreary looking buildings as the carriage entered the town. There was no denying she was excited.

"Are you ready, Iris?" Rosalie whispered, her eyes lighting up when she saw the men in the distance. There were a few Bolton guards stood behind a young man, his eyes had Rosalie's heart beating faster. They were blue, more than blue, they were like ice.

"As ready as I can be, milady," Iris whimpered.

The carriage came to a halt and Rosalie could hear the townsfolk whispering amongst themselves. She tried to ignore them and focus on making a good impression on the mysterious man stood, waiting for her.

"I heard they wanted rid of her," one woman whispered. Rosalie stepped out of the carriage with the help of Roose Bolton, himself.

"Well, I heard she set the place alight. A Targaryen sympathiser in our midst, no doubt," another mumbled. Rosalie scoffed at the idea. She was told of the Targaryen's as a child and she did not sympathise with them, although she was a little curious about them.

Iris followed Rosalie closely, she was openly frightened by the Bolton's whereas Rosalie sauntered over to them with a smirk plastered on her face, much like the one that covered the man in front of her, which she assumed to be the bastard. Her movements were confident, she wanted to be here, not back in Ashbury where the people were soft and almost fragile.

"Lady Rosalie, this is my bastard, Ramsay," Roose introduced him with a cold voice. Rosalie noticed the uncomfortable expression on Ramsay's face when his father said the word _bastard_. This amused her, maybe she could use this to her advantage.

"It's nice to meet you, Ramsay," Rosalie feigned innocence as she smiled at the man in front of her. She loved to play the innocent young lady, it would surprise them more when she revealed her true self.

"My lady, perhaps you would do me the honour of accompanying me on a walk this evening?" Ramsay replied sweetly. This confused Rosalie as she was expecting the man she had heard so much about. Perhaps he was playing the same game she was; her eyes had a mischievous glint in them at the thought.

"Of course, my lord." Ramsay glanced down at her lips before grinning wildly.

"Ramsay, show Rosalie to her new chambers then see me in my study," Roose demanded before walking into the house.

"This way, my lady," Ramsay smiled. "Only the best for our guest."

"I am no guest. This is my new home, is it not?" Rosalie replied playfully, making Ramsay chuckle in response.

"It is, I was just trying to be kind, my lady," Ramsay replied.

"Please, call me Rosalie. It would be ever so tiring if we were to call each other lord and lady for the whole time that I am here, don't you think?" she smiled at him, using her sweetest smile to charm him. _This was going to be easy_ , she thought. Little did she know that he was thinking the exact same thing.

They arrived at a small room at the end of a long, dark corridor. Her chambers weren't too far from Roose's, she guessed that they'd want to keep an eye on her, make sure she wouldn't run off. Ramsay didn't think she would, she seemed to know better.

"This is it, my- Rosalie. Let me know if you need anything. My father may treat you like a prisoner but I assure you, that sort of attitude is not one that possess," Ramsay gave her a small smile which soon turned into a sly smirk when he thought she wasn't looking. She saw it, of course she did. "You will be called for dinner."

"Thank you," Rosalie replied, frowning slightly as Iris let out a small whimper behind her.

As Ramsay left, Rosalie turned to Iris with an annoyed expression. She was not going to have the girl showing fear every time the Bolton's decided to show their face. She had a plan, she wanted, no needed to see Ramsay at his finest but she knew that it would take some time for him to open up to her without getting herself in trouble.

"Would you get yourself together?" Rosalie snapped. It frightened Iris a little, her eyes were wide and her mouth was agape. The last thing she needed was to anger her mistress, she didn't want to go back home, no matter how terrible the Dreadfort was.

"I-I'm sorry, milady," she stammered.

"Do you actually believe that I would put you in harms way?" Rosalie waited for an answer.

"No," Iris whispered. She knew that Rosalie needed her.

"Then please, don't show fear. It will only make it worse for yourself. I will protect you as much as I can, you know that," Rosalie said, her voice strong and bitter. There was a hint of kindness in there but it soon vanished by the end. Iris nodded, she wasn't going to get any comfort, she knew that now.


	4. Chapter 3

The morning came too soon for Rosalie, she wasn't in the mood for all the formalities; she had been instructed to meet Roose Bolton in the great hall. She would have liked to have more sleep but she knew that she was not here for leisure, she was a prisoner.

Iris stepped into the room cautiously, her hands shaking as she carried in a tray of food. Rosalie checked over the food, various fruits alongside a vase of water. Iris rushed out of the room and returned with a slim, navy dress.

"A gift, milady," Iris smiled slightly. "From Lord Bolton."

"How strange," Rosalie replied, running her hand over the gown. "Why would he give me this? I am but a hostage until my parents find peace."

"That is true but you have free reign of the Dreadfort and will be treated as a noble rather than a prisoner, milady."

"That's something, I suppose. What does Lord Bolton want to speak to me about, Iris?" Rosalie asked while holding the dress up to her body to see how it would look.

"I'm not sure, milady." Rosalie sighed with annoyance.

"What a load of help you are, Iris."

Iris just nodded, she knew that she was liked by Rosalie otherwise she would have been sent away years ago. Even as a child, Rosalie was demanding.

Iris tightened the laces on Rosalie's new dress and helped her do her hair. After she was ready, Rosalie started walking toward the great hall, to find out what Roose Bolton wanted from her.

Roose was sat at the top table, sipping on water and talking amongst some of his men. He dismissed the guards as soon as he saw Rosalie walking towards them.

"Ah, Lady Ashford. I hope you slept well," he said, his stern face still showing. "Please, sit."

"I did, thank you, Lord Bolton. What would you like to talk to me about?" she replied, putting on her sweetest smile, yet again.

"I know this must be confusing for you, my lady. You are still young-"

"I am sixteen, Lord Bolton."

"Even so, you have been taken from your family. You probably want to know why?"

"I was told that it was to keep the peace as our families have been against each other for generations," Rosalie answered, her eyes narrowing as she suspected that it wasn't the case.

"That is part of it, yes but do you know why we're against each other," he asked.

"No, my parent's don't like to talk about it."

"Maybe that's wise, to not put our hatred on our children. What I'm trying to say is, if you are cooperative with my orders, we will get on very well. If not, then things could get really bad for you."

"I understand, Lord Bolton," Rosalie smiled. "If that's everything."

Rosalie left the great hall, she knew that he was trying to be intimidating, however it only made her laugh. She felt a hand on her shoulder, Ramsay's.

"My lady, I apologise about my absence yesterday," he smiled. It seemed unnatural on his face and Rosalie noticed straight away.

"It's fine, my lord. Maybe we can take that walk now?"

"Of course, my lady."

"And what did I say about calling me, my lady? Call me Rosalie," she giggled.

They walked through the courtyard where all eyes were on Rosalie. It didn't bother her, she knew the stories that people told about her. They may even say that her and Ramsay were the perfect pair.

"So, Rosalie, what things do you enjoy doing?" Ramsay asked, pushing for conversation.

"I enjoy archery," Rosalie replied, trying to see Ramsay's reaction. Nothing out of the ordinary. "My brother's taught me when I was younger but I still wasn't able to join my father on a hunt."

"I can take you hunting, if you like?" Ramsay smirked. Here was what she reaction she wanted.

"I would like that."

"Are you sure you could handle it?" He was dropping her hints that the stories were true.

"I'm sure. Have you not heard the stories? I am not new to hunting animals."

"I thought you said you couldn't join your father?" he asked, he was intrigued.

"I did, but I didn't hunt with my father. I would often find solace in hunting in secret."

Ramsay's eyes were wide with excitement. He had hoped that the stories about her were true. It was going to be fun having her around, he thought.


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review :)_

Rays of light managed to pierce the air through the trees, shining a dim light on Rosalie as she ventured the woods just outside of the Dreadfort. This area was off limits to her unless she was with a member of the Bolton family or their guards.

Luckily for her, Ramsay had wanted to show her how to use a bow and arrow and he wanted to do it in private. The idea made Rosalie's stomach do flips. Ramsay was making it extremely difficult for her to learn though as he kept staring at her with his piercing blue eyes.

"I thought you wanted me to learn?" Rosalie mused as she saw Ramsay, in the corner of her eye, staring at her with a glisten in his eyes.

"You are doing well, Rose. Pretend I'm not here and find your target," he replied, a smirk plastered on his smug face. _That's easier said than done_ , Rosalie thought as she took in a deep breath.

The targets they were using were bits of cloth, hanging from the branches which disappointed Rosalie as she was hoping to do some actual hunting. Ramsay had told her that she needed to work on her aim first.

"I hate being called that," Rosalie mumbled while focusing her attentions on a target only yards away from her.

Ramsay chuckled, moving so that he was stood next to her. Rosalie felt her cheeks burn red from his closeness. "Why? Rose is such a pretty name, a sweet name."

Rosalie scoffed at the idea of her being sweet then let her arrow go, watching it glide swiftly through the air and missing the target completely. She let out a annoyed sigh while Ramsay only laughed.

"I thought you said you'd hunted before?"

"I have, just not with a bow and arrow," Rosalie snapped, her annoyance entertaining Ramsay to no end.

"Right, show me then. How would you hunt?" he chuckled, placing his hands behind his back and watching her with an amused expression.

Rosalie looked up at Ramsay's smug face and faked a smile before retrieving a small dagger from her boot. Ramsay watched, intrigued as the girl walked away and sat at the base of the nearest tree.

"I asked you to show me," Ramsay joked, receiving a glare from Rosalie.

"The animals are not going to anywhere near me if they perceive me as a threat," she stated plainly. She felt stupid, compared to Ramsay, she was weak and she hated feeling weak.

"That's...interesting. Do you catch any deer?"

"Of course not, just small animals, rabbits and such. I wasn't allowed a weapon remember?" Rosalie said, a smile returning to her face.

"Come on, we'd better head back. There's lots of stuff to do," Ramsay chuckled, holding out a hand for Rosalie to take. He pulled her to her feet and lead her back to the Dreadfort.

When they entered the courtyard, they noticed a gathering of the Bolton soldiers by the door. They were surrounding someone and making crude remarks. Rosalie then noticed the petrified look of Iris, cowering against the wall. She rolled her eyes, she had told her not to show her fear.

"That's Iris, my handmaiden," Rosalie whispered, holding onto Ramsay's arm and putting on a sad, puppy dog look.

"I'll sort this out." Ramsay wandered over to the guards and as soon as they saw him, they scattered. Rosalie noticed that they looked confused, as if they were expecting him to join in with their little games. He was hiding something, she was sure about that. It could take a while but she would find out who Ramsay Snow really was.

Iris saw Rosalie, still stood by the entrance and hurried over to her, the scared look still on her face.

"Oh, milady. Thank the gods. You should have heard the vile things they were saying."

"What did I tell you, Iris? Do not show fear. You'll make me look weak," Rosalie whispered sternly.

"I-I'm sorry, milady. It won't happen again. What do you suggest I do?"

"If something like this happens again, I suggest calling their bluff," Rosalie smirked, glancing over to a couple of guards who were stood near the kennels, laughing with each other. "For now, leave it to all to me."


	6. Chapter 5

"It's getting worse, sir," one Bolton guard announced to Roose as he sat with a glass of scotch.

"What's getting worse?" Roose asked, with no hint of interest in his voice. He had heard about his son and his ward getting close and he only hoped that it wouldn't go any further. He had warned Ramsay what would happen if they got too close but he wasn't sure that his bastard would listen.

"The hunting, milord."

"I'll have a word with Ramsay, this news would only frighten the poor girl." Roose leaned back in his chair and let out a deep sigh.

"I wasn't talking about Ramsay, milord. These are just animals, I am sure that the Ashford girl had something to do with it."

Roose's expression changed suddenly, he had hoped that the rumours about her weren't true. He decided that it must be a coincidence. "You must be mistaken. I shall hear from her personally and sort this out."

The guard nodded and left Roose to his business. He sat at his desk with his head in his hands, the last thing he needed was another Ramsay to keep an eye on. He downed his drink before pouring himself another. He was worried now, not that it showed. He had the same expression on his face, no matter what.

He was to leave the Dreadfort for a month or two on business and Ramsay was to be in charge. Roose was now doubting his decision to leave his sick minded child on his own, in charge of another, so-called sick minded child.

A small knock at the door shook Roose back to reality, when he looked up he saw Rosalie stood by the door with a small smile on her face.

"You wanted to talk to me, my lord?" she said sweetly. Roose looked at the girl and started doubting his judgement.

"Yes, Rosalie. Please sit down," he replied after clearing his throat. Rosalie sat at the chair opposite him and waited patiently. "Have you noticed anything weird around here?"

"Weird, my lord?" she asked, putting on a quizzical expression.

"Yes, for example, there have been rumours that someone is killing numerous animals around the town, including some pets." Roose watched for any give-aways from her reaction but there were none.

"No, not weird," she smiled. After a long pause she spoke up again. "You think I slaughtered these poor defenceless animals. I am not stupid Lord Bolton."

"My guards, not me, say there are rumours-"

"I am aware of these rumours but I can assure you. They won't be going around much longer," she answered, her smile still on her face but Roose worried about the meaning behind her words. "They will be proven wrong soon."

"That would be helpful. Thank you, lady Rosalie. You can leave now."

Rosalie nodded before leaving the study, smirking to herself on the way out. She needed to sort this out. She couldn't have the guards spreading rumours about her, even if they were true.

 _A/N: Thank you guys for your support. If you want to see updates on my stories then please follow my Twitter: LilMissGnomey_


	7. Author's Note

I have not given up on this story and I have heard you all. I am in the process of updating each chapter because I am unhappy with how short they are and if I'm honest, I have no idea where I was going with it. It will still have the same basic plot, I'm just tweaking it a little.


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